Food Glorious Food part 2

 

         A couple of points before diving into recipes. Butter makes everything taste better. If you're cooking with olive oil it's European, if palm or sesame oil, it's Asian. Baking beyond cookies or pie should be left to wizards.

         I mentioned mise a place before because it's important to have the ingredients ready so you're not running around, forgetting something or cutting yourself with the knife in your haste. Despite what you may see on TV, cooking is not a race against the clock. Take your time. Prep work allows you to gauge how everything will get cooked /finished at the same time. Enjoy the process.

          Amounts aren't listed because a serving size is a relative thing. Figure out how much you can eat and multiple for others. I always make two serving cause seconds are good and you can always have leftovers for lunch the next day. Some want more garlic, some less, maybe you'll skip the pepper cause it's too spicy or use a tiny bit. Don't be afraid to experiment with proportions.

         Pasta is always sexy. Want the proof? Check out this recipe from the film "The Chef".

Scarlett Spaghetti Oilo

pasta

olive oil,

garlic, chili flakes, parsley

salt, pepper

 butter

parmesan cheese

         Use large pan because past requires a lot of space. Salt generously, bring to a slow boil, add pasta. Before draining, reserve some of the water. Meanwhile, Saute thinly sliced garlic in olive oil over medium heat until slightly brown, add chili flakes, parsley and butter. Drain pasta and add to the saute pan along with half a cup of the reserved water (per serving). Mix until everything is heated-serve immediately. Garnish with shaved cheese.

 

Pizza

The perfect food good hot or cold. Round thin crust is traditionally Neapolitan. Roman crust is square and heavier. A meatball sandwich is just a pizza on a roll.

You can make pizza dough from scratch but if you're a beginner, buy the pre made stuff. I use Boboli brand crust. Feel free to add as many toppings as you like.

Pizza dough

tomato sauce

toppings galore

mozzarella

garlic, basil, parsely, salt pepper

olive oil

         Sprinkle crust with olive oil and spread tomato sauce thinly over the whole surface. Add grated mozzarella cheese, herbs, etc. and bake at 425 until the crust is browned and the cheese is nice and creamy. Remove and let it rest for 5 minutes. The cool down period prevents the cheese from melting off the crust when you cut it into slices.Variation:

Pizza Margherita

tomato sauce, spread it out thinish

basil leaves, use the fresh stuff

grated or chunks of mozzarella cheese

too make it really robust, chorizo or short ribs (yum)

Bon Apetit